Greenpeace are idiots...

[Gob]

A mum takes action against GM wheat
Greenpeace activists, including one mother who wants to protect her family, have stopped a GM wheat experiment outside Canberra this morning.

Three women used whipper snippers to remove a controversial genetically modified (GM) wheat crop before day break.

The activists constructed a decontamination area to safely dispose of the untested and potentially unstable GM organisms.

Safety in question

The activity follows the revelation that Australia’s peak scientific body, CSIRO, is conducting the world’s first human feeding trials of GM wheat, without adequate safety testing.

“This GM wheat should never have left the lab,” said activist and mother, Heather McCabe. “I'm sick of being treated like a dumb Mum who doesn’t understand the science. As far as I’m concerned, my family's health is just too important. GM wheat is not safe, and if the government can't protect the safety of my family, then I will.”

CSIRO’s wheat experiment came under recent scrutiny when eight international scientists and doctors questioned the ethics and scientific rigour behind it. In an open letter the scientists questioned the safety of human feeding trials planned for later this year in which Australians would be fed GM wheat from the Canberra based trials.

I have a feeling Mrs McCabe will get a visit from the AFP today. Throw the bloody book at her. They destroyed wheat intended for use in trials (i.e. testing) because it hadn’t been tested enough?

[rubato]

Nearly all human food crops are genetically modified.

There are some legitimate concerns about GM crops but this is the "lets burn down the observatory so this never happens again.*" approach.


yrs,
rubato

From a "Simpson's" episode where there was a scare about an asteroid hitting the earth.

[rubato]

There are people who try heroically to save the earth because there is some real, or plausible, peril which should be averted and there are egomaniacs who want to "save the earth" so badly that they'll invent a peril to save it from. The latter group are evil.

yrs,
rubato

[dgs49]

"Whipper snippers"?

Could this be the device known generally in the U.S. as a "weed whacker"?

I don't know what this posting has to do with Greenpeace, but the Snipper seems to lack the capacity for rational thought. Does she suppose a plot exists to force people to eat food made from GM wheat without their knowledge?

[Gob]

Yes Dave, also known in the UK as a "strimmer".

It has to do with Greenpeace as this idiotic woman claims to be a member acting for them.

Greenpeace activists, including one mother who wants to protect her family, have stopped a GM wheat experiment outside Canberra this morning.

Three women used whipper snippers to remove a controversial genetically modified (GM) wheat crop before day break.

The activists constructed a decontamination area to safely dispose of the untested and potentially unstable GM organisms.

The activity follows the revelation that Australia’s peak scientific body, CSIRO, is conducting the world’s first human feeding trials of GM wheat, without adequate safety testing.

“This GM wheat should never have left the lab,” said activist and mother, Heather McCabe. “I’m sick of being treated like a dumb Mum who doesn’t understand the science. As far as I’m concerned, my family’s health is just too important. GM wheat is not safe, and if the government can’t protect the safety of my family, then I will.”


http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/ ... -GM-wheat/

[The Hen]

If she is sooooo sick of being treated like a dumb Mum who doesn't understand science, then she should stop acting like a dumb Mum who doesn't understand science.

[Gob]

Dear Greenpeace.

I have unleashed some Genetically Modified lawn in my front and back yard.

You know what to do.

Yours sincerely,
Gob.

[The Hen]

This GM wheat they were experimenting with had a property of being able to be digested within the stomach earlier. it was in fact a healthier strain of wheat that would have positive benefits for diabetics.

Way to go dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks Mum who doesn't understand science.

[Scooter]

But all GM products will cause you to grow seven hairy tits on your back.

Or didn't you know that?

[Gob]

But all GM products will cause you to grow seven hairy tits on your back.

Wow! Sounds neat, where do I get some?

[The Hen]

Ewww. No thanks.

[Sean]

But all GM products will cause you to grow seven hairy tits on your back.

Wow! Sounds neat, where do I get some?

You've already been told... on your back!

I've heard that vegemite can have a similar effect...

[Andrew D]

A more even-handed report:

By Belinda Tasker
Sydney Morning Herald

A group of prominent scientists and researchers from around the world has urged Australia not to go ahead with human trials of genetically modified (GM) wheat.

The CSIRO is carrying out a study of feeding GM wheat grown in the ACT to rats and pigs and could extend the trial to humans.

The modified wheat has been altered to lower its glycaemic index in an attempt to see if the grain could have health benefits such as improving blood glucose control and lowering cholesterol levels.

But eight scientists and academics from Britain, the US, India, Argentina and Australia believe not enough studies have been done on the effects of GM wheat on animals to warrant human trials.

The CSIRO has dismissed their concerns, insisting no decision has been made on if or when human trials will begin.

In a letter to the CSIRO’s chief executive Megan Clark, the scientists expressed their “unequivocal denunciation” of the experiments.

“The use of human subjects for these GM feeding experiments is completely unacceptable,” the letter said.

“The experiments may be used to dispense with concerns about the health impacts of consuming GM plants, but will not in fact address the health risks GM plants raise.

“The feeding trials should not be conducted until long-term impact assessments have been undertaken and appropriate information released to enable the scientific community to determine the value of such research, as against the risks.”

Among the signatories were Dr Michael Antoniou, of the gene expression and therapy group at King’s College London School of Medicine, and Professor David Schubert, from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.

The scientists said they were concerned that the CSIRO had inadequately described the biological and biochemical make-up of the GM wheat being used in the trials.

They said that, based on previous research, GM food products had been shown to be prone to having multiple effects, including damaging the health of animals which had eaten them.

They believed the CSRIO’s animal feeding trials of up to 28 days were “completely inadequate” to assess such risks.

But CSIRO spokesman Huw Morgan said animal trials of the GM wheat, which began in 2005, were still continuing.

“No decision has been made as yet to undertake human trials,” he told AAP.

“It’s still something that we are considering.”

Mr Morgan said many studies carried out in the past 15 years had shown GM foods had no detrimental impact on human health.

The CSIRO’s trials were trying to determine whether the new type of GM grain had health benefits for people with conditions such as colourectal cancer and diabetes, he said.

Greenpeace food campaigner Laura Kelly said GM experts recommended that long-term animal feeding studies of two years should be carried out before human testing to evaluate any carcinogenic, developmental, hormonal, neural and reproductive dysfunctions.

“This is the first generation of Australian children that will be exposed to GM in food for a lifetime,” she said.

“If Julia Gillard doesn’t stand up to foreign biotech companies, soon they’ll be eating it in their sandwiches and pasta, even though it has never been proven safe to eat.”

And a biased view which, nonetheless, contains interesting information:

Friday, July 15, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, is considering extending animal trials of a genetically-modified (GM) wheat crop created with an artificially low glycemic index to humans, despite a lack of proper safety assessments. And a group of scientists and academics from around the world recently sent a joint letter to CSIRO explaining their "unequivocal denunciation" of the irresponsible proposal.

Created in partnership with Limagrain, Europe's largest grain company and propagator of GMOs, the GM wheat has been tested on rats and pigs in Australia for a mere 28 days, which is not even close to enough time to observe the onset of adverse reactions and negative side effects. And yet the government there has granted approval for CSIRO to test the "Frankenwheat" on human subjects if it so chooses.

"The use of human subjects for these GM feeding experiments is completely unacceptable," wrote the opposition group in their letter to CSIRO's chief executive Megan Clark." The experiments may be used to dispense with concerns about the health impacts of consuming GM plants, but will not in fact address the health risks GM plants raise."

Such health risks, of course, include endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders and sterility, digestive problems, rapid aging, organ damage, autoimmune problems, insulin imbalances, and many others.

In truth, independent, long-term testing on the safety of any and all GMOs currently in the food supply has never taken place, and no GMO has ever been conclusively proven safe -- every human currently consuming GMOs on a regular basis is actually an unwitting test subject in a giant biotechnology experiment.

"The feeding trials should not be conducted until long-term impact assessments have been undertaken and appropriate information released to enable the scientific community to determine the value of such research, as against the risks," added the letter.

Letter signatories included Dr. Michael Antoniou of the gene expression and therapy group at King's College London School of Medicine, and professor David Schubert from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.

[Gob]

Good reports Andrew, which add to the perspective that the actions of the "not dumb mum" were dumb beyond belief.

[Rick]

Ewww. No thanks.

I posted about mantits months ago...

[The Hen]

I must have intentionally ignored it then.

I can't think why?